The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-05-24
HOLLANDS FUTURE.
Only One Life Between It's Independence
and Its Absorption by Germany.


T, Only One Life Between Its Independents
and Its Absorption by Germany.
According to the provisions of the
Succession bill passed recently by the
Dutch Chamber of Deputies, nothing
out the life of girl less than seven
years of age stands between Holland
and inclusion in the federative state
which Bismarck has created. In the
contingency contemplated the Batavian
lowlands would revert, after an indie
pendent existence of about three CEN
turtles, to relations analogous to those
which they formerly sustained to the
holy Roman Empire. In security and
real dignity Holland would lose moth
ing by the change, for since the French
revolution she has been indebted for
autonomy less to her inherent power
than to the jealousies of her great
ueighbors. Thenceforth she would be
guaranteed against foreign encroach-
nents-the German of the Platt-
Deutsch district is brother, not for
signer-while she would retain at the
same time the large measure of local
self-government enjoyed by Bavaria
and Saxony. What Bismarck would
gain by the transaction is obvious
enough, since the acquisition of Hol-
lands maritime resources and East In
dian dependencies would at once trans
form the German Empire into great
naval and colonial power, besides open
ing the prospect of large ultimate &C
| ,essions through the Dutch-speaking
people in South Africa. If Germany is
ever to dispute with England the scep-
ter of the seas, the absorption of the
Low Countries is an Indispensable pre-
requisite.
So far as the Grand Duchy of Lux
emburg is concerned-which, it will be
remembered, has not Legislative, but
only a dynastic connection with Hol-
and-arrangements were made sew
eral years ago for its transfer, on the
Heath of King William I'LL. to Duke
Adolphus, of Nassau, who was after
Sadowa dispossessed of his inherited
| dominions. The same Prince, as the
representative of the elder line of Mas
sau, had put forward claim also to
succession i'm the Low Countries, which
would have been acknowledged valid,
had the Salic rule prevailed. But of
course there was no bar in Holland to
inheritance through females. since it
was through daughter of Charles the
Bold that the Dutch provinces some
four centuries ago passed to the house
Of Austria. Every one of the possible
heirs designated IN the present Success
sion bill is either a female or derives
title from female. Thus, in case of
the death of the young Princess Will
ielmina, the first in order of success
sion will be the Kings sister Sophie,
| married to the Grand Duke of SAKE
Weimar-Eisenach. 1t is noteworthy.
however, that according to the biz the
Grand Duchess can not transmit to her
children her rights over Holland, which
pass, on the contrary, TO the descend
ants of the Dutch Princess Marianne,
daughter of King William l., and mar
ried more than half century ago to
Prince of Prussia. As the latter's son,
the present Prince Albert of Prussia,
has three boys, it will be seen that the
Low Countries are unlikely to escape
the house of Hohenzollern. There is
no reason to suppose that the precau-
tons taken by the Succession bill
against the failure of Prussian heirs
will be called in play, and we need not,
therefore, refer TO them in detail.
The hopes founded on these provis-
ions may, no doubt, be dashed if the
child Princess Wilhelmina should grow
up and marry a member of some family
opposed in interest to the HOhenzol-
lerns. But measures will probably be
taken TO bring about union with one
of her Prussian kinsmen, three of whom
are nearly of her own age. Seldom,
indeed, in recent times has a royal
alliance been fraught with political
consequences so important as those
which from a German point of view
might follow the marriage of the little
girl, who, if she lives, will reign over
four millions of subjects in Europe and
thirty millions in the East Indies.-N
Y San.